Recommended Reading

My main desire is to encourage people to study the Bible. There is nothing on this site or any other that can substitute for time in the Word of God. If you only have limited time to read or study I would encourage you to place your emphasis there. We should also recognize, however, that the Lord has blessed the church with many wonderful teachers. On this page, I have listed books that thoughtful Christians may find interesting or valuable. I pray that the Lord would use these authors to cause you to think critically about the issues they address and that they would be as much of a blessing to you as they have been to me.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of any of the titles simply click on the title and you will be directed to one of our affiliate sites where you can purchase the book. Although your price is not effected, we receive a portion of the proceeds from any purchase made through our links on this site and 100% of those are donated to local ministries. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless you in your study.

If there is a book that you think I should consider adding to the list please send me an email with the title and author at mathaytes.blogspot@gmail.com.


39655: The Holiness of God, Revised and Expanded Edition The Holiness of God, Revised and Expanded Edition

By R.C. Sproul / Tyndale House
From Rudolf Otto's mysterium tremendum to Martin Luther's "insanity" and Jonathan Edwards's fiery sermons, Sproul's classic offers an accessible exploration of history and Scripture that will help you understand---and live with---the tension between God's terrifying holiness and his inexplicable grace.
Sproul explains, "How we understand the person and character of God the Father affects every aspect of our lives....God is inescapable. There is no place we can hide from Him. Not only does He penetrate every aspect of our lives, but He penetrates it in his majestic holiness. Therefore we must seek to understand what the holy is. We dare not seek to avoid it. There can be no worship, no spiritual growth, no true obedience without it. It defines our goal as Christians. God has declared, "Be holy, because I am holy" (Lev. 11:44). To reach that goal, we must understand what holiness is."

1650X: Knowing God Knowing God

By J.I. Packer / Inter-varsity Press


J. I. Packer's Knowing God has become a classic of the Christian faith. Why? While it causes us to reflect about God with clarity and grace, it does much more---it focuses on actually knowing him, in building our relationship with him, and encourages us to draw closer to him in love and worship. This 20th anniversary edition of Packer's classic has new Americanized text, reader-friendly type, and a new preface. 

0747: No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?

By David F. Wells / Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.


Written expressly to encourage renewal in evangelical theology, this book explores the interface between Christian faith and the modern world in entirely new ways and with uncommon rigor.This sweeping analysis examines the collapse of theology in the church, the academy, and modern culture, raising profound questions about the future of conservative Protestant faith.

454898: He Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World He Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World

By R. Albert Mohler, Jr. / Moody Publishers


Is contemporary preaching suffering from an infatuation with technology, a focus on felt needs, an absence of the gospel? Mohler thinks preaching has fallen on hard times! Join him as he examines the public exposition of the Bible and explains why the church can't survive without it.

12095: How to Read a Book, Revised How to Read a Book, Revised

By Mortimer Adler / Touchstone


Originally published in 1940, Adler's living classic has now been updated. This respected guide to reading comprehension takes you through the processes of skimming; summarizing content; criticizing an author's writing fairly; and using different techniques for reading practical books, imaginative literature, plays, poetry, history, science, mathematics, philosophy, and social science. This isn’t a "Christian" book but as “people of the book” it is imperitive that we can read critically. Applying the lessons that Adler teaches to our reading of both the bible and other books greatly helps in developing an ability to read critically and think carefully about an authors message.

46043: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

By Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart / Zondervan

                    This is probably the best short introduction to the study and interpretation of scripture for the       average person that I have read. It addresses the key issues that are required for a person to begin to study the scripture for themselves. While it is fairly comprehensive for its length and contains some technical vocabulary it is not too difficult to read and the examples are excellent. Whenever someone asks me about good books to get someone started learning about the process of sound interpretation this is the first book that comes to my mind.